NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 13 – The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) troop Contributing Countries have agreed to adopt a common stand at a time when the tenure of the joint troops in Somalia nears an end.
The resolution was reached during a meeting convened in Kenya where AMISOM also agreed to adopt a common approach in the discussions at the African Union on AMISOM’s engagement in and with Somalia post-2021.
AMISOM is expected to depart from Somalia on December 31 if its mandate is not extended.
“The Technical Experts of the AMISOM TCCs agreed to adopt a common position and approach in the discussions at the African Union, on the African Union’s Independent Assessment Report on AMISOM’s Engagement in and with Somalia – Post-2021,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported following a forum hosted by Principal Secretary Macharia Kamau.
While the troop-contributing countries observed that the containment of threats to peace and security in Somalia still exist, they paid tribute to the AMISOM troops for their courage, valor, and professionalism in reducing the threat caused by the armed groups.
“In addressing the challenges of the coordination between the AU and the broader international community, the Technical Experts further called for joint consultations to be undertaken jointly by the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the United Nations (UN), the Troop and Police Contributing Countries (TPCs), the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and the Federal Member States (FMS) before the end of the current AMISOM mandate on December 31st, 2021,” the statement read in part.
As part of the resolutions, AMISOM also welcomed the proposal to transition it into an AU-UN Multidimensional Stabilization Mission in Somalia.
AMISOM troops are drawn from Uganda, Burundi, Djibouti, Kenya and Ethiopia who are deployed in six sectors covering south and central Somalia.
